Magnesium is the fourth most abundant cation in the body and is second only to potassium within the cell. The adult human body contains 21 to 28 grams of Mg. Of this, 60% is in the bones, 20% in the skeletal muscle, 19% in other cells and about 1% in the extracellular fluid. Magnesium is often the mineral most deficient in modern diets. Mg catalyzes or activates more than 300 enzymes in the body. Low serum magnesium may cause hyperirritability, tetany, convulsions, EKG changes, hypertension, heart attacks, coronary vasospasms and premature atherosclerosis. High serum Mg may occur in dehydration, severe diabetic acidosis, Addison's disease, after a heart attack, in uremia and excessive intake of certain anti-acids.
Specimen is Red Blood Cell (RBC).
REFERENCES:
- Ryan, M.F.: The role of magnesium in clinical biochemistry: an overview. Ann. Clin. Biochem.,28:19-26, 1991.
- Shils, M.E.: Magnesium. In: Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 7th Ed. ILSI Press, 1996,pp. 256-264.
- Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry, 3rd Ed., 1999. W.B. Saunders & Co. pp. 1034-1037.
- CPT CODE:
- 83735
- COLLECTION CONTAINER:
- Heparin tube
- COLLECTION INSTRUCTIONS:
- LRBCMG-Magnesium-RBC.pdf
- STATE & SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS:
- We cannot ship lab kits to NY, AK, HI, or international
- MINIMUM VOLUME:
- 0.5 mL
- NORMAL VALUES:
- RBC = 4.0 to 6.4 mg/dL
- PATIENT PREP:
- None
- PROCESS METHOD:
- The methodology is by atomic absorption/ICP.
- PROCESS TIME:
- 5 to 7 business days
- SPECIMEN VOLUME:
- 1.5 mL Heparin RBC, washed 1x
- TRANSPORT CONTAINER:
- Metal-free plastic transport tube
- TRANSPORT NSTRUCTIONS:
- Refrigerate or freeze
